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Hatfield History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Hatfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Hatfield

What does the name Hatfield mean?

Hatfield is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Hatfield family once lived in either of the places called Heathfield in Somerset or Sussex, or in one of the various settlements called Hatfield in Essex, Herefordshire, Nottinghamshire, Worcester, the East Riding of Yorkshire, or the North Riding of Yorkshire.

The place name literally means "heathy open land, or open land where heather grows," from the Old English "haeth" + "feld." The earliest village or parish with the name was registered in Saxon times in South Yorkshire in 731 when it was known as Haethfelth. 1

One source claims the name was derived from "hat, hot, Saxon, and field-from the hot sandy soil" 2 and yet another claims the name was derived from the "Anglo-Saxon Hæðfeld = the Heath-Field." 3

Another source claims the name was derived from the Old English "heathland, heather + feld" (pasture, open country) 4

Early Origins of the Hatfield family

The surname Hatfield was first found in Colchester, Essex where William de Hatfield was listed there 1119-1127. 5 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list William de Hatfield in Essex and Agnes de Hatfield in Cambridgeshire at that time. Years later, Johannes de Haytefeld was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 6

Robert de Hattefeld was listed in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1343 and Thomas Hatfeld was listed in the Assize Rolls of London in 1412. 5

Thomas of Hatfield (d. 1381), was Bishop of Durham, and thought to have been the second son of Walter of Hatfield in Holderness. He seems to have entered the king's service at an early age, and was Keeper of the Privy Seal in 1343. 7

Early History of the Hatfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hatfield research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1119, 1640 and 1652 are included under the topic Early Hatfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hatfield Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Hatfield family name include Hatfield, Hatfeild, Hadfield, Hopfield and others.

Early Notables of the Hatfield family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Martha Hatfield (fl. 1652), 'The Wise Virgin,' daughter of Anthony Hatfield, by his wife Faith Westley, was born at Leighton, Yorkshire, 27 Sept...

Hatfield Ranking

In the United States, the name Hatfield is the 723^rd most popular surname with an estimated 39,792 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Hatfield family to Ireland

Some of the Hatfield family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hatfield migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Hatfield surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Hatfield Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Hatfield, who arrived in America in 1620 9
Mr. Wlliam Hatfield, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "Southampton" 10
Joseph Hatfield, who landed in Virginia in 1623 9
William Hatfield, who landed in Maryland in 1676 9
Elizabeth Hatfield, who landed in Maryland in 1676 9

Hatfield Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Hatfield, aged 36, who landed in Washington, DC in 1802 9
Joseph Hatfield, who settled in Virginia in the same year
Henry, Peter and Susannah Hatfield, who arrived in New York in 1823
John Hatfield, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1826 9
Miss Louisa Hatfield, aged 16, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hatfield migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hatfield Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Abraham Hatfield U.E. born in Westchester County, New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 11
Mr. Daniel Hatfield U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 11
Mr. David Hatfield U.E. (b. 1763) born in New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1843 11
Lt. Col. Isaac Hatfield U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in Loyal Westchester Volunteers 11
Mr. Jacob Hatfield U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hatfield Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Justus Hatfield, who arrived in Canada in 1837

Hatfield migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hatfield Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Hatfield, (b. 1786), aged 29, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years for forgery, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1817 12
Mr. Thomas Hatfield, (b. 1791), aged 24, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years for forgery, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1840 12
William Hatfield, English convict from Norfolk, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 13
Hannah Hatfield, English convict from York, who was transported aboard the "America" on December 30, 1830, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 14
Mr. Mark Hatfield, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 20th August 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hatfield migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hatfield Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Hatfield, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 16
Mrs. Hatfield, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Napier" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 8th August 1872 16
Miss Hatfield, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Napier" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 8th August 1872 16
Mr. Hatfield, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Napier" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 8th August 1872 16
Mr. Hatfield, Jr., British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Napier" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 8th August 1872 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hatfield (post 1700) +

William Rukard Hurd Hatfield (1917-1998), American actor
John Hatfield (1795-1813), American midshipman in the United States Navy during the War of 1812, eponym of the USS Hatfield (DD-231)
Charles Mallory Hatfield (1875-1958), American "rainmaker" who claimed over 500 successes, but took his secret formula to the grave
Juliana Hatfield (b. 1967), American guitarist/singer-songwriter and author
Mark Odom Hatfield (1922-2011), American former United States Senator and Governor of Oregon
Charles E. Hatfield (b. 1862), American politician, Mayor of Newton, Massachusetts, 1910-13 17
Barbara Ann Hatfield, American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates; Elected 1984, 2010; Defeated, 2012; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1996, 2000, 2004 17
Anne P. Hatfield, American Republican politician, Candidate for Connecticut State Senate 18th District, 2008 17
Alvin Grant Hatfield, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Kentucky State House of Representatives 88th District, 1973 17
Abraham Hatfield (1801-1876), American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Westchester County 2nd District, 1852 17
... (Another 46 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Hatfield family +

Halifax Explosion

Mrs. Emma Hatfield (1881-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 18

USS Indianapolis

Willie Hatfield (1912-1992), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 19

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1830 with 135 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1830
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew